The Panamera and Cayenne weren’t built to be track monsters, but they sure are quick around a circuit
June 30, 2025 at 05:57
- The Cayenne Turbo GT set a new SUV lap record at the Road Atlanta circuit.
- The Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid eclipsed the time of the non-hybrid variant.
- Quicker than both is the all-electric, 1,019 hp Taycan Turbo GT super sedan.
In mid-June, Porsche revealed that the Taycan Turbo GT had set a new lap record at Road Atlanta for an EV. As it turns out, the automaker wasn’t satisfied with simply walking away with a single lap record that day and also managed to set new records for both an SUV and a sedan thanks to the Cayenne Turbo GT and Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid.
Renown racing driver Patrick Long was tasked with setting blistering laps in both models, and that’s precisely what he did. While we suspect there are very few Cayenne or Panamera owners who ever take their vehicles to the track (the Panamera is great on the track, as yours truly can attest – ed), we’re sure there’ll be plenty who love boasting to their friends about just how quick their uber-powerful grocery getters are.
Read: Fastest Electric Porsche Ever Just Annihilated a Track Record
Starting with the Cayenne Turbo GT, Long set a best lap of 1:34.38 while behind the wheel. That’s an impressive time and was just 7 seconds behind the Taycan Turbo GT’s 1:27.15. When you consider that the Cayenne Turbo GT is down 369 hp on the Taycan, and doesn’t benefit from the same instantaneous power delivery, this time proves that the SUV really can boogie.
From Super SUV To Super Sedan
Then came the turn of the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. Prior to hitting the track, the 2021 Panamera Turbo S held the lap record with a 1:31.51 lap. But, whereas that car pumps out 621 hp, the new E-Hybrid delivers 771 hp and includes Porsche’s trick active hydraulic suspension system.
With Long behind the wheel, the E-Hybrid set a best time of 1:30.98. That’s only about half a second quicker than the former record, and perhaps shows that the added weight of the hybrid system offsets some of the horsepower gains. Even so, Porsche’s experienced pro driver was impressed with its on-track manners.
“The new generation Panamera is so much more seamless in the regen and boost transition, it makes it very easy to get right up to the edge,” he said. “When you think about how much braking is part of high-performance driving, the fact you can make energy for acceleration while improving stopping power is such a positive attribute, and one that you can use both on and off the track.”
